{"id":844,"date":"2021-03-05T18:30:13","date_gmt":"2021-03-05T18:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/som\/?p=844"},"modified":"2021-03-05T21:20:44","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T21:20:44","slug":"entrepreneurs-society-at-um-flint-a-story-of-growth-and-perseverance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/som\/2021\/03\/05\/entrepreneurs-society-at-um-flint-a-story-of-growth-and-perseverance\/","title":{"rendered":"Entrepreneurs Society at UM-Flint: A Story of Growth and Perseverance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By<\/em><\/strong> Alexis Menard<\/strong><\/a> on March 5, 2021, 1:30 PM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In celebration of the 2021 Giving Blueday<\/a> event on Wednesday, March 10, the School of Management<\/a> is highlighting the growth and perseverance of the Entrepreneurs Society and their faculty advisor, Dr. Witt over the last 13 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Entrepreneurs Society <\/a>(ES) is an academic student organization at the University of Michigan-Flint. By design, it is nimble, flexible, and serves the useful role of supporting students who wish to pursue creative new ideas. The organization began in 2008 and since then has rapidly expanded across campus to most academic disciplines. Through hard work and discipline, the Entrepreneurs Society has earned many prestigious awards based on student projects and efforts, and has also supported the Flint community in many ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pillar of the organization is founder and faculty advisor, Michael Witt, PharmD, JD, Entrepreneur in Residence, and Lecturer IV in Business Law and Entrepreneurship at the UM-Flint SOM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Background about Dr. Michael Witt, PharmD, JD<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Dr. Michael Witt, PharmD, JD
Photo provided by Helena Schutt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Prior to joining the University, Dr. Witt had extensive experience in new company formation, especially in the drug and medical device development arena. His academic training includes a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD) from the University of California San Francisco, and a law degree (JD), from Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At CWRU, and along with Prof. Duncan Neuhauser, they started Health Matrix: A Quarterly Journal of Health Sciences Management. This journal continues today at CWRU School of Law and is presently the leading law medicine publication of its kind.  After law school, he practiced corporate health care law for seven years at Warner & Stackpole, a large Boston law firm, representing hospitals, biomedical research institutions, universities, and pharmaceutical companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Witt taught courses on Food and Drug Law, and Health and Hospital Law, at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences.  While practicing law and teaching, he published a book entitled AIDS: Legal, Ethical and Social Implications, and was also published in the American Medical Association Journal on public health research guidelines. He was instrumental in establishing hospital policies on managing the AIDS crisis across the nation and was a frequent lecturer on this topic in numerous venues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After seven years in Boston, Dr. Witt and his young family moved to Sacramento, where he started a technology company that specialized in commercializing university-derived medical research. Over the next ten years, his company worked to develop nine drugs and fourteen medical devices using institutional and venture capital resources in California. The company worked on projects around the globe, including Helsinki, Mexico City, Alberta, Truro, and Japan.  He also developed and taught a course for five years at the Harvard School of Public Health (\u201cCommercializing Biomedical Technologies\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After years of travel, Dr. Witt and his wife decided to move to Michigan in 1997 to raise their children in his wife\u2019s town of Flint, Michigan. After managing MichBio, Michigan\u2019s life science trade association, in Ann Arbor, and practicing law at Cox, Hodgman, and Giarmarco, in Troy, Dr. Witt decided to settle into teaching full-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTeaching is a lifelong passion of mine,\u201d said Dr. Witt. In 2008, he began as a Lecturer in Business Law and Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan-Flint School of Management (SOM).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

History of the UM-Flint Entrepreneurs Society (2008-Present)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During his first year of teaching at UM-Flint, Dr. Witt began to realize that his undergraduate students had a few things in common: Students worked on average thirty hours per week, and they were often first-generation college students. \u201cOur students are driven to succeed and passionate about their careers. They typically are very serious and diligent,\u201d said Dr. Witt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. Witt lecturing in Bus 110 course<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A UM-Flint student, Laurie Matheny, approached Dr. Witt about a potential project she had and didn\u2019t know where to find resources. \u201cThe university can be a difficult place to navigate and find solutions,\u201d said Dr. Witt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From this experience, Matheny knew that other students could benefit from guidance and assistance. As a result, she and Dr. Witt founded the Entrepreneurs Society alongside support from Dean John Helmuth and Associate Dean Yener Kandogan. It was recognized as an academic student club at UM-Flint, in 2008, as a way to facilitate students accessing the complex university environment and to help them succeed at their career goals. Dr. Witt was named Entrepreneur in Residence for the UM-Flint SOM and given the broad mandate of encouraging creative activities and teaching entrepreneurship and business law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first ES President was Laurie Matheny and the first task of the new student organization was to recruit like-minded students to be a part of its activities. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t hard,\u201d Dr. Witt continued, \u201cStudents were excited and on-board with a club dedicated to fulfilling their passions and dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany of our students need something special going for them if they are to compete and succeed in getting into graduate programs, in various disciplines, into companies which interview at many fine institutions, and in focusing their career plans effectively,\u201d Dr. Witt continued, \u201cThe Entrepreneurs Society is a way for students to get help in building their careers and pursuing their dreams.  I don\u2019t push them\u2014they push themselves.  Perhaps I might nudge them a bit.  But generally, if they want to succeed, it is a lot of fun to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2011, Dean John Helmuth, Ph.D., pushed for the Entrepreneurs Society to join the National <\/a>Collegiate Entrepreneurs\u2019 Organization (CEO)<\/a>, a network of more than 250 colleges and universities and 8,000 students. This would give more opportunities for students to network and broaden students\u2019 perspectives while representing UM-Flint globally. Two years after joining CEO, the Entrepreneurs Society <\/a>placed 2nd in two categories: Best Fundraising Event, and Best Chapter Leadership.<\/a> The Entrepreneurs Society solidified its structure and started growing at a tremendous rate.  Students of all majors joined, with interests in engineering, computer science, pre-med\/healthcare, fine arts, and music.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Entrepreneurs Society 2012 at CEO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Entrepreneurs Society evolved to become focused on community outreach and building connections with outside organizations. ES conceived and helped to establish Habitat for Humanity\u2019s Work-Live Program, a now-internationally recognized activity where a home is built for a low-income entrepreneur with the business on the first floor, and a residence upstairs.  \u201cThis has been done for hundreds, if not thousands of years, and we helped to bring it back to Flint\u2014four of such homes have been built so far,\u201d said Dr. Witt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entrepreneurs Society\u2019s members have done work with numerous other organizations over the years and facilitated the development of many careers. Students have worked with Big Brothers\/Big Sisters, the Genesee County Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Catholic Communities of Flint (St. Matt\u2019s), the State of Michigan\u2019s DEEP Program, the State of Michigan\u2019s Rural Development Agency, the Economic Development Agency of the Small Business Administration, to name a few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNeedless to say, these activities are expensive and time-intensive,\u201d said Dr. Witt. Recognizing this need, 2014 ES President, Bryon Killin, BBA \u201915 in Accounting, helped to start the Entrepreneurs Society Endowment Fund<\/a>. This fund, approved by the University, has the sole purpose of using its investment returns to fund ES projects and activities. It has grown over the years and is beginning to generate some modest support for student activities. \u201cDonations from students like Bryon and local donors have been graciously received and accepted.  It is still very modest, and we need funding in the worst way,\u201d said Dr. Witt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Endowment Fund has been important in providing funding to student projects, and, along with the School of Management support from Dean Scott Johnson, it has also funded networking opportunities and trips like the CEO conference attended by six to ten students each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2018, Entrepreneurs Society was ranked top five in Chapter Advisory and Chapter Leader<\/a> under the leadership of ES President, Michael Engle, BBA \u201818 in Finance and International Business. \u201cMichael is an amazing, organized, and dedicated young professional and his efforts laid the groundwork for solid growth,\u201d said Dr. Witt. During Engle\u2019s tenure, the student group also completed an EDA-funded research project and presented a report on the need for eldercare facilities in Flint and surrounding communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Entrepreneurs Society 2019 at CEO; Global Chapter of the Year. <\/em>Pictured left to right:
Front: Elijah Madar, Raymond Kusch
Middle: Timothy McGlinchey, Ashlyn Summers, Giorgia Pasqui, Elisabeth Hamilton, Todd Fridline, Carryn White, Ashley Hardacre, Kayla Emmendorfer, Helena Schutt
Back: Dr. Michael Witt, Jacob Berg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

His successor, Todd Fridline, BBA \u201819 in Finance, capitalized and extended these diligent efforts, culminating in winning the 2019 Global Chapter of the Year award<\/a>. This received wide recognition in the UM-Flint community. Todd Fridline also led an extraordinary team to research, design, and launch a new innovative program in Genesee County: Flint Green<\/a>. Elisabeth Hamilton BBA \u201820 in Marketing and Entrepreneurship, Sean Tabor BBA \u201917 in Entrepreneurship, Elijah Madar, BS \u201822 in Mechanical Engineering, and Caryn White, BBA \u201920 in Marketing, worked together to research, design, build and install a novel wind\/solar roof-mounted system designed to generate clean and cheap energy to a low-income residential home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Flint Green Project
Pictured left to right: Elisabeth Hamilton, Todd Fridline, and Dr. Michael Witt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the 2018\/19 academic year, the Entrepreneurs Society was recognized at the Celebrating Wolverine Excellence (CWE)<\/a> banquet, an annual event for honoring and celebrating UM-Flint student contributions hosted by the Department of Student Involvement and Leadership<\/a>. ES won four UM-Flint student organization awards: UM-Flint Student Organization of the year, UM-Flint Most Outstanding Community Contribution, UM-Flint Most Outstanding Student Leader (Fridline), and UM-Flint Most Outstanding Faculty Advisor (Dr. Witt).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Current Entrepreneurs Society Operations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The latest students, headed by ES President, Garrett Prince, BBA \u201922 in Finance, (last semester recently graduated ES President, Giorgia Pasqui, BBA \u201920 in International Business and Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management) are still striving and persevering post-COVID.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo step for a stepper,\u201d said Dr. Witt, channeling his Texas roots, \u201cThey continue to dip, dive, duck and dodge challenges as they arise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other students in charge of ES leadership are Vice President, Helena Schutt, BBA \u201922 in International Business and Marketing, Treasurer, Evan Johnson, BBA \u201922 in General Business, Communications Coordinator, Drew Ferrari, M.S. in Computer Science & Information Systems, Marketing Director, Tracy Pemberton, BBA \u201921 in International Business, and Ryan Hicks, MBA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am most proud of their work with each other in cross-campus disciplines and with other student groups, including a session with six African-American entrepreneurs from the Black Student Union and hosting a guest lecturer in small business tax preparation with Beta Alpha Psi. Several new members are working on a Mentoring Program (Theo Ellis, Marketing), a PSA encouraging vaccine use (Christina El Zerka, Biology), and an Art Gallery project (Marquise \u2018Mia\u2019 Medal, Arts Administration). Several community businesses are being advised by other students, writing business plans, as well as a winter lecture series, featuring a noted venture capitalist from Hearst Ventures and author, Kunal Mehta, on <\/a>Tuesday, March 9, 2021<\/a>,\u201d said Dr. Witt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three business students (Ryan Hicks, Evan Johnson, and Garrett Prince) investigated how supply chains in Flint, MI were affected by COVID-19 and how it impacts local residents. They used software from Tealbooks, a supplier intelligence company based in Toronto, ON, Canada, to evaluate the operational disruptions of shipping goods and products coming from around the world to Michigan. The end result of the survey and report was to help local businesses address supply chain disruptions while assisting in providing resources and guidance for financial relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presently, Christina El Zarka, a UM-Flint CAS Biology freshman student has developed a public service announcement to educate and encourage Flint residents to take the COVID-19 vaccine in a campaign called <\/a>Save Summer 2021<\/a>. She is working with a number of groups, including the Genesee County Health Department, to create and distribute this public service announcement and informational video about the effectiveness of the vaccine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to student-focused projects, the Entrepreneurs Society is also involved with hosting speaker series, faculty and student spotlights, business plan training sessions, and offering professional headshots to UM-Flint students during the 2020\/21 academic year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn reflecting on the last year and the challenges presented by the pandemic, it has been remarkable to watch the campus and community unite to help one another through this difficult time,\u201d said Dr. Witt. Despite COVID-19 having made it harder to collaborate in-person, the Entrepreneurs Society continues to work on multiple projects with community-focused initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a busy last few years. It\u2019s been fun, but it\u2019s been a challenging environment to navigate. We are still improving and have made a lot of headway, but a lot of work needs to be done,\u201d Dr. Witt continued, \u201cGiving Blueday<\/a> at the University of Michigan-Flint is March 10th and we could use any financial support you are able to provide. Any amount is helpful, and just knowing that you are out there and willing to acknowledge these students\u2019 efforts with your contributions is meaningful and will directly support the Flint community as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make a gift to the Entrepreneurs Society on March 10th for Giving Blueday, bookmark this <\/a>website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To make a gift right now, visit the <\/a>Entrepreneurs Society Endowment Fund<\/a> page.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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